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Professional recruiter vs staffing consultant

The differences between professional recruiters and staffing consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a professional recruiter and a staffing consultant. Additionally, a professional recruiter has an average salary of $54,615, which is higher than the $40,837 average annual salary of a staffing consultant.

The top three skills for a professional recruiter include applicant tracking systems, human resources and background checks. The most important skills for a staffing consultant are reference checks, R, and direct hire.

Professional recruiter vs staffing consultant overview

Professional RecruiterStaffing Consultant
Yearly salary$54,615$40,837
Hourly rate$26.26$19.63
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs74,71141,815
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 78%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age4141
Years of experience66

What does a professional recruiter do?

A professional recruiter is responsible for finding qualified candidates for a job opening and ensuring that the demands of the employer and the employee are met throughout the recruitment process. Your duties will typically include sourcing, pre-screening, and presenting qualified candidates to the recruitment manager, soliciting employee referrals, and conducting background and reference checks. Additionally, you are expected to manage and oversee the job offer process, ensure the delivery of an exceptional job candidate experience, and facilitate employee onboarding.

What does a staffing consultant do?

A staffing consultant develops and maintains the accounts of clients through outside and inside organizational activities. Staffing consultants induct, assess, and monitor the job applicants preparing them for their assignments. They match jobs to applicants and the candidates to their jobs. Their duties include helping both employees and employers in their respective responsibilities. They also act as business development and sales consultant to talent acquisition firms.

Professional recruiter vs staffing consultant salary

Professional recruiters and staffing consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Professional RecruiterStaffing Consultant
Average salary$54,615$40,837
Salary rangeBetween $40,000 And $74,000Between $25,000 And $65,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYPalo Alto, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkHawaii
Best paying companyMcKinsey & Company IncMicrosoft
Best paying industryInsurance-

Differences between professional recruiter and staffing consultant education

There are a few differences between a professional recruiter and a staffing consultant in terms of educational background:

Professional RecruiterStaffing Consultant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 78%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Professional recruiter vs staffing consultant demographics

Here are the differences between professional recruiters' and staffing consultants' demographics:

Professional RecruiterStaffing Consultant
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 43.2% Female, 56.8%Male, 29.4% Female, 70.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 6.9% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 7.5% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between professional recruiter and staffing consultant duties and responsibilities

Professional recruiter example responsibilities.

  • Manage all phases of the iCIMS - iRecruiter applicant tracking system process and source/recruit qualify internal and external management candidates.
  • Manage records of sales activities and follow-up on requirements by utilizing office specific HRIS technology.
  • Utilize internal database, LinkedIn (or other social media), job boards and other networks to identify qualify candidates.
  • Update and verify all information in ATS.
  • Perform recruitment metrics data analysis and reporting for business partners and team members using recruiting system and PeopleSoft HRIS.
  • Research and recruit potential employees through LinkedIn
  • Show more

Staffing consultant example responsibilities.

  • Manage and negotiate contracts for all job boards including: Monster-SignOnSanDiego, YahooHotJobs, Careerbuilder, Jobing, and Craigslist.
  • Source candidates from LinkedIn, the database, and job boards and consistently reach out.
  • Utilize LinkedIn to identify passive talent for hard to find skill sets in difficult geographical regions.
  • Create and deliver presentations to senior leadership of technology companies regarding MRI executive search capability and methodology.
  • Manage and negotiate contracts for all job boards including: Monster-SignOnSanDiego, YahooHotJobs, Careerbuilder, Jobing, and Craigslist.

Professional recruiter vs staffing consultant skills

Common professional recruiter skills
  • Applicant Tracking Systems, 34%
  • Human Resources, 6%
  • Background Checks, 6%
  • Reference Checks, 4%
  • Recruitment Process, 3%
  • Work Ethic, 3%
Common staffing consultant skills
  • Reference Checks, 7%
  • R, 6%
  • Direct Hire, 5%
  • Criminal Background Checks, 5%
  • Business Development, 5%
  • Open Positions, 4%

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